ABOMINATIONS AND TABOOS IN IGBOLAND - ARU

Gloria Grossi May 05, 2020


There are many taboos/ abominations in Igbo land, but it unveils as the case prevails.  These rules were made by the ancestors of the Igbo people. It is believed that abominations in Igbo land stem from fear and the primitive nature of the ancestors. That said, they are still believed and practiced by a lot of people. For clarity, the Igbos are the people of an ethnic group native to present southeastern Nigeria.  

Abominations and Taboos in Igbo Land Includes:

  • No functions on Eke market day.
  • The Eke snakes must not be killed.
  • Osu and Ume families.
  • Nze and Ozo are customary priests.
  • Eburala.
  • Chicken mustn't crow at night. 
  • Growing the upper teeth first......


ALL OTHER  FUNCTIONS ARE PROHIBITED ON EKE MARKET DAY

There are four Major market days in Igboland, which compromises of Eke market day, Orie market day, Afo market day, and Nkwo market day. 

On market days, people take whatever they have available to be purchased to an assigned place meant for that market day. All buyers definitely know where and when to go to the market to make their purchases. Each market day has its own centrality and its very own customary connections.

Eke Market day is a market day put aside by the ancestors. On that day, no one must go to farmland to take part in any work, and there will be no way wedding functions.  People prefer to go to the market to engage in any trade they want and return home to rest for the following day.

IT IS FORBIDDEN TO KILL AN EKE SNAKE

There are two sorts of the Eke Snake in Igboland.  One is Eke Orasi, and the other is called Eke Uwonya. Eke Orasi is a short python that is common everywhere in Igboland, while Eke Uwonya is a giant long Python found in the forest.
Eke Uwonya is consumable, yet the short Python can't be slaughtered or eaten because it is forbidden. It is trusted that the Eke Orasi are the children of Orashi stream, which is found in Abia, Imo, and part of Anambra State. Erroneously or deliberately murdering a python means trouble. The act necessitates that the creature should be mourned with grievances of a perished individual. Strange right? Welcome to Igboland.


OSU AND UME FAMILIES MUST BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY

 Osu and Ume in Igboland are said to be the general population who were brought from a far land. Significantly, they are being utilized as slaves or offered as a forfeit to the ancestors. They must worship the Idols, serve the Idols, and they are to live in the market where they serve the Idols. These sets of individuals are exceptionally innovative and attractive. However, they are not permitted to either wed, participate in gatherings, or relationship with the sons of the soil. The sons of the soil are the real offspring of the land. On the off chance that you ask me, I will say the general population from the Igboland are supremacists. Lol! I am merely clowning, it is their way of life, and I respect that.

The Osu and Ume's are from Igboland, their kids grow up and carry on with an extraordinary life. They get hitched to either an individual from their tribe or an individual from different ethnicity. This contention has been on for the longest. The sons of the soil are made to trust that the OSU and UME(s) don't have traditions. As it is believed that their culture and customs are lost in time. Despite all of these controversies, in the present day, endeavors have been made to cancel this idea. Shockingly, nothing has enhanced, this law was laid down by the ancestors.

NZE AND OZO ARE CUSTOMARY PRIESTS

The Nze is the male, while the Ozo is his spouse. They both hold the most noteworthy customary titles in Igboland in the ancient days. They are viewed as the customary priest of the Igboland, which makes them get preferences and exemptions from any type of community work. The Nze or Ozo must not venture into a river or stream where individuals are occupying already. At whatever point they want to visit, or utilize the waterways/stream, everyone in that water runs out.

This is to show respect and honor. They are free to utilize the waterway or stream while every other individual stops outside until the point when they are through. On the off chance that it happens that somebody goes along with them in the stream, that individual must assuage the land.

EBURALA (AN ANIMAL MUSTNT BARE ONE CHILD)

Any chicken or goat that bears one infant is condemned, and its offspring are described as an EBURALA. It must be slaughtered and eaten once it is matured. On no event should this creature be taken to the market for sale or left to have offsprings. Doing otherwise is considered an abomination in Igboland.


A CHICKEN MUST NOT CROW AT NIGHT

It is an abomination for a Chicken to crow at Night in Igboland. If it does, that fowl must be apprehended and killed for consumption.

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GROWING AN UPPER TEETH FIRST.

In the olden days, on the off chance that a baby develops the upper teeth first, or if a child is born with teeth.  Such a child is bad luck and an abomination in Igboland. The child will be tossed into an evil forest for animal consumption. Note that this demonstration has been abolished because, in a long time past, people do things out of primitivism. In a similar vein, twins were killed yet today, nothing of such exists.


ADULTERY

It is considered an abomination in Igboland if a woman lay down with her significant other's sibling. If she takes part in such an act, her better half will die. On the off chance that she takes part in a sexual association with another person, she and her significant other will live in need and want. When an Igbo lady is hitched, she is married forever except in the case of divorce.  I wonder why the Igbo people did not consider creating such a rule to govern the men too. 


KILLING

It is an abomination in Igboland to kill any human; if such an act occurs, the accused person will pay severely for that offense. Also, committing suicide is forbidden. If such an act is done, such a person does not get a proper burial. Let's leave it as the body is discarded.


GIVING AND RECEIVING

It is an abomination in Igboland to give or receive one item or any Item in an odd-numbered form, e.g., 1, 3, 5,7,9........ When presenting or receiving a gift, it must be in pairs, e.g., 2,4,6,8,10........... If anyone is presented with one item as a gift, such a thing is accepted and been thrown away.
The reason for this is that the Igbos believe that the two (2) represent the breasts of their mother. And the multiple of two represents the multiplication of blessings.


WHISTLING WITH THE MOUTH AT NIGHT

You can whistle with your mouth all day, but it is an abomination in Igboland to sound with your mouth at night, it is believed that it is a way of getting the attention of snakes, while others believe it attracts evil spirits. In the olden days, if someone accidentally whistles at night, an elderly person there will rush to the kitchen, pick up burning wood and throw it outside. That is a sign of appeasing the gods and forestalling the repercussion of that act. The person will say some words, begging and appealing to the ancestors, stating that the offender did the act unknowingly.

DOING BAD TO INLAWS AND THEIR CHILDREN

Doing any kind of evil to this category of people is an abomination in Igboland. Husbands and Children born to sisters or daughters of the Igbo communities are treasured, and no form of unpleasantries must be recorded against the family.
Husbands and children of the daughters of the land are automatic members of the family, and they have equal rights with the other members of the family. In most cases, they are giving areas to build on for their remembrance. It is called the "mark of Inlaws."


Do well to let me know what you think. By the way, I am an Igbo lady. You can continue by clicking here.


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Gloria Grossi

Posted by Gloria Grossi

Hi, this is Gloria Grossi, the smash hit creator of the Girls Best Buddies. I am a proud housewife who has discovered telecommuting a methods through which I can bless the world. I am enthusiastic about engaging ladies to figure out how to acquire more cash telecommuting. Learn More about me at https://www.gloriagrossi.com/about/

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61 Comments

  1. Daddy J-I10 June 2018 at 12:48

    never heard of this eki market day. although sometimes, some places hava taboo and people live with it because they grew up doing these things like their ancestors.

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  2. Gloria Grossi10 June 2018 at 16:41

    Weldone, Hope to host you soon. Lolz

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  3. Ishani Nath10 June 2018 at 17:32

    That a lovely post, I had no knowledge about the community of Igbo people in Nigeria. Such a whole lot of information. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Vaishali10 June 2018 at 18:19

    Thats an eye opening post. I had never heard any of these.

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  5. JuliVAGlobal2 August 2018 at 16:39

    Thank you for sharing such a rich culture.

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  6. Nicole2 August 2018 at 18:37

    Thank you for sharing, very educational and eye opening!

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  7. Sakshi2 August 2018 at 19:36

    that is so interesting! Nice to know about different cultures and places!

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  8. Maysz3 August 2018 at 04:30

    Thanks for sharing the culture it's very educational :)

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  9. prabashi4 August 2018 at 04:55

    Wow, it’s a nice community to learn about. Never heard of such a community.

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  10. reveler4 August 2018 at 07:15

    I think every culture has its own set of traditions which are considered taboo... .

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  11. Sheena Moncatar4 August 2018 at 10:54

    This is very informative. Indeed so many things to learn when you are from another part of the hemisphere. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. Backpacking Series5 August 2018 at 09:42

    Learnt so many things for the first time starting with Igbos and continuing through the taboos and traditions they follow. Its so fascinating how somethings hold importance in one community. Always new things to learn everyday. Look forward to Part 2 of this post.

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    Replies
    1. Gloria Grossi4 November 2018 at 15:52

      It is up already, however, I intend to merge the two in one.

      Delete
  13. Unknown5 August 2018 at 12:00

    Married to an igbo man, I'm fortunate enough to be be privy to this wealth of info shared here. I just love the igbo culture and feel blessed to be part of it

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  14. vaishali6 August 2018 at 00:01

    This post is definitely eye opening about Igbo people in Nigeria

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  15. Unknown6 August 2018 at 23:07

    I was not familiar with any of this. Are these traditions still recognized and practiced today? Thank you for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. Gloria Grossi4 November 2018 at 15:54

      So are still active while some others have been abolished

      Delete
  16. Valerie9 August 2018 at 09:32

    I enjoyed reading this post! It's so informative and interesting that I learned so much about Igbo.

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  17. Pavan K9 August 2018 at 15:34

    I've never heard of eke market day! Thanks for the informative and interesting post. There is so much to learn about the world and it's great to read about :).

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  18. Grace Esedeke10 August 2018 at 15:20

    I schooled in Abia State (Umudike to be precise) I did experience a few of this things and somewhat fell in love them. It fueled my decision to marry and Igbo guy even though we didn't sort of work out.
    I'm happy our people are starting to write about our culture to bring the world to Nigeria, to also experience our rich diverse cultural heritage.

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    Replies
    1. Gloria Grossi4 November 2018 at 15:57

      Awww darling, thank for your so much love. No to worry, Mr right is on his way.

      Delete
  19. Ntensibe Edgar13 August 2018 at 14:49

    Wow....now, I'm really curious to visit Nigeria! With all this info, I'd love to see how it all goes.

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  20. Unknown28 August 2018 at 04:08

    nice post.. I have added to my knowledge

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  21. Give Thanks To The Holy One4 November 2018 at 12:09

    I am amused about the tradition or belief about the snake and chicken. This is so informative. Thanks for sharing. So really knowledgeable.

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  22. Unknown4 November 2018 at 13:02

    This is so interesting to learn! I love learning about other cultures' taboos, traditions and beliefs. Is there a part 2?

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    Replies
    1. Gloria Grossi4 November 2018 at 15:41

      Yes there is but I am planning to merge them as one.

      Delete
  23. Lyosha Varezhkina4 November 2018 at 18:07

    wow! so interesting! I never knew anything from it. Thank you for giving me new knowledge

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  24. Monidipa4 November 2018 at 18:19

    A taboo is a part of any culture in Africa and other parts of the world – largely because it brings a sense of sanity and reverence to certain things in the community. We shall be examining 10 taboos or things you shouldn’t do in Igboland or eastern Nigeria and see how these impact the general lives of the people living in these areas.

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  25. BluKatKraft4 November 2018 at 19:12

    This is very interesting! I love learning about different cultures, taboos, customs. Thanks for sharing.

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  26. Stephanie Stebbins4 November 2018 at 19:14

    This is was interesting and educational! I am always fascinated by taboos in different cultures. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

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  27. Gervin Khan5 November 2018 at 02:45

    I have never heard of this place before but thanks to you for sharing this because you give us a chance to be informed about others cultures and traditions.

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  28. procrastinations5 November 2018 at 14:17

    Wow, never heard of these traditions but this is fascinating! Thanks for sharing.

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  29. Ruth5 November 2018 at 17:04

    This is a very interesting post. I was not familiar with any of these traditions so I feel like I’ve learnt a lot :) Thanks for sharing!!

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  30. Danielle6 November 2018 at 02:20

    Such an informative post on the traditions and the culture. Something I would not have learned unless I read this!

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  31. Khushboo6 November 2018 at 03:56

    It was fascinating to read about the Igbos and their culture and traditions. I have to admit I didn't know about them tillI read this post.

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  32. Twinspirational8 November 2018 at 15:25

    Wow what an interesting story. Never heard of most of the culture and traditions in here before.

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  33. Kaycee Enerva13 November 2018 at 09:42

    This is very eye opening

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